tonight, on "20/20." true confessions. to get you ready for christmas. >> this could get a little rough. >> you gobbled down your turkey. now it's time to talk turkey. the debt collectors making your black friday, even blacker. what to do when a stranger calls. >> plus, have you lost anything on your holiday travels? what are your chances of getting it back? >> the driver did not find your

camera. >> finders, keepers. plus, he's doing his shopping the illegal way. shopli shoplifting, caught on tape, and making the craziest confession ever. >> you got the wrong guy. >> and baristas, spilling the beans. buzz kill, tonight. just in time for christmas. true confessions. here now, david muir and elizabeth vargas. >> good evening, we hope you had a great thanksgiving yesterday with your loved ones and didn't get too much in debt today on black friday. last year, an unbelievable $57

milli billion was spent. >> but when the credit cards come due, the debt collectors will do anything to get their money back. even threatening murder. here's rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: how would you like to get a wakeup call like this? >> good morning, you [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. you [ bleep ] son of a [ bleep ]. good morning. >> reporter: you're listening to actual calls from debt collectors. some so outrageous, they sound like somebody's getting punked. but they're no joke. >> james, give me my money back. i want my money or else i'll kill you. >> are there good debt collectors out there? probably. i just never met any of 'em. >> reporter: these messages were provided to "20/20" by florida attorney billy howard who says he delights in suing debt collectors. >> they are moblike tactics. and, just like the mob, they

make a lot of money. so they continue to do it. >> you're on the way the jail. >> reporter: why do they have such a bad reputation? this collector agreed to reveal the secrets of his trade. are you good at your job? >> i think i'm one of the best in the world. >> reporter: what makes you good? >> persistence. >> reporter: he has had a long career tracking down people that skipped out on making their car payments. once he finds you, he just wants to talk. when you're in the conversations, what goes on? >> you come at them offering to

settle the deal. after that, you say, why shouldn't i take you to court. >> reporter: he says he follows the law, pretty much. >> i would call at 9:15. >> reporter: he certainly sounds like a model debt collector. but you'll find out later if he's as squeaky clean as it sounds. but other collectors can't pose as law enforcement officers. >> this is officer mark henry calling. >> reporter: and it's totally illegal to threaten arrest.

>> see you in court. >> we're not terrible people. >> reporter: and most collectors obey the law, and provide an important service to boot. but 31-year-old jessica burk says the collector she encountered wasn't so scrupulous. burke who lives in california now bought a used car in 2007. then she lost her job, got behind on payments, and ran head-on into a debt collector who she will never forget. she says he just kept calling and texting. >> fifteen text messages a day. if you don't give it up, get

yourself some bail money. porky pig, two hundred-pound slob in a double-wide. >> reporter: he called you porky pig? that's disgusting. >> he was an unpleasant person. >> reporter: jessica says she soon turned over the car to the finance company and repaid her overdue debt, $350. but in the meantime, she says the collector wasn't giving up. >> at one point he had told me that he was outside my house, and he's taking pictures of me right now. and i called the police. they came out and looked and he wasn't there. >> reporter: did you ever ask him to stop? >> i begged him to stop. there was times where i was crying on the phone, begging him to stop. >> reporter: through her entire ordeal, jessica never met her collector. he knew all of these things about you. >> right. >> reporter: but you've never seen him. >> never seen him. >> reporter: this is the man

jessica says made her life miserable. john anderson. >> i wasn't really the one pursuing jessica. the finance company pursued her more than i did. >> reporter: those nasty threatening messages -- he denies sending them. did you send her text messages? >> no. >> reporter: you didn't send her text messages. >> not one. >> reporter: what was it that sent the text messages? >> the collections manager at that particular car lot. >> reporter: jessica says you sent her texts calling her porky pig. >> not in my vocabulary that's not something i would say. >> reporter: anderson says he did get angry after he claims jessica got into a physical altercation with a woman he sent out to repo the car. he concedes, insults did fly on the phone, including remarks about her weight. >> she said, "i have a refund coming." i said, "a tax refund or a jenny craig refund." >> reporter: meaning what? >> meaning that she was overweight. >> reporter: is it legal to throw an insult like that at someone when you're collecting? >> well, it's probably not the proper thing to do. >> reporter: jessica says that

once you told her you were outside of her house taking pictures, and that she was terrified. >> that's not true at all. >> reporter: you never said that? >> no. >> reporter: but jessica had had enough. she went on the offensive and sued anderson. you turned the tables back on him. >> yes, exactly. >> reporter: anderson never showed up in court and a judge awarded jessica more than $33,000. all of a sudden, she was the collector and he was the one who had to pay up. so now, the tables have turned. >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: and you owe jessica money. >> some say i do. >> reporter: well, the law says you do. why hasn't she gotten it? >> because i don't have it to pay her. >> reporter: you don't have the money? >> no. she's not collected a dime. she never will. >> reporter: she'll never collect. >> no. >> well, that's poetic. >> reporter: as for jessica, she says she can't be bothered chasing anderson for the money. she's moving on with her life.

>> if i never see the money, that's not really what matters to me. i came out on top. i fought back. he can't bother me anymore. >> so here's the question tonight. do you have any horror stories about debt collectors? and how much did you spend today? >> too much. use #abc2020. we'll be back with more true confessions. next, a dropping spree. deliberately losing things around the country. it's "20/20"'s lost and found experiment. do those departments give back or take home? coming up. the most amazing thing about the ford fusion isn't the way it looks. ♪ the most amazing thing? is the way it sees. ♪

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an estimated 43 million people are traveling this weekend. that means a lot of stuff left behind on planes, automobiles, trains, and hotel rooms. so, we asked gio benitez to get some true confessions from these lost and found departments. is getting your lost stuff back

a lost cause? >> reporter: it's the day after thanksgiving. and in the mad rush of holiday travel, lots of us are losing more than our minds. we're losing our stuff left and right in rental cars, buses hotel rooms, planes. time for secrets of the lost and found. come on. we're at new york's grand central terminal, a train station that serves 700,000 a day. but deep in its bowels lies a treasure trove of lost and found items left behind by weary travelers. . >> just need you to fill out this information. >> reporter: melissa gissentanner heads up the department. how many items do you get per day? >> on average, 100. >> reporter: 100 items a day? where do you fit it all? >> as you can see, we're busting out here. >> reporter: the place is a packrat's dream. there's everything from the predictable coats, luggage, cellphones. to the salacious.

>> the strangest thing i've ever found here probably a bag full of adult toys. >> reporter: what did you think? >> wow! i was thinking would they be brave enough to claim it? and they came in yesterday, claimed it. looked to be a very happy customer. >> reporter: melissa says grand central goes the extra mile to reunite travelers with their property. >> may i have your last name? >> reporter: but these aren't always the rule. >> when you're traveling, your brain falls out. you leave your laptop on a plane, kiss it good-bye. >> reporter: what are the odds that you'll actually get anything you lose back? to find out, "20/20" set out on a cross country, lost and found test of lost and found operations, deliberately losing all sorts of items at cities coast to coast.

22 items from smartphones to watches to wallets. we start in new york riding to the airport using the app-based car service, uber. we're waiting for our driver the app says he's two minutes away. the driver drops me off, oblivious to the satchel with a brand-new laptop and cell phone inside that i've ditched in the backseat. we'll see where it ends up. getting them back will be a roll of the dice. >> you're dealing directly with the owner. it's up to the owner to have his or her own system to recover a lost item. >> reporter: but isn't that part of customer service? >> no one starts out with a lost and found system. it's really an afterthought. you lost it, so it's your fault,

right? >> reporter: next, we're in the city of angels. we're going to drop things all over the city. i ditched two more items here on sunset boulevard. one of my items, here on the couch. one of them's kind of ordinary. the other one? not so much! sometimes people leave some crazy things behind like a french maid costume. so we're going to leave it inside the closet and see what the real maid does with it. >> if you leave a costume, this is clearly not usedd for normal hotel stay purposes. now, we're off to the famed la brea tar pits where the fossils of prehistoric animals lie in the muck. but will we be able to recover olaf, the adorable snowman character from disney's "frozen?"

>> i like warm hugs. >> reporter: we feel a little guilty leaving olaf behind, but before we skip town, we've still got to get rid of a couple more items. we're going to return this rental car and leave behind a wallet and a camera bag. time to see what happens. we're still on the road, but items come back to us. our camera bag is returned by an alert employee. no word about the wallet. but unclaimed items can end up in the hands of the staff. >> they will sell it on ebay or something like that. >> reporter: it can get shipped out to an unclaimed items

factory like this. >> six months is pretty much the cutoff time. >> reporter: and washington, d.c., a city known for its so-called beltway bandits. but there is some honesty in washington. we get a call from the capital police. >> i found a wallet. >> reporter: thanks, uncle sam. and in philadelphia, here we leave a pouch with a couple of jacksons stuffed inside. but this really is the city of brotherly love. we get a phone call. and finally, our spree is over. in ten days, we lost 22 items in

six different cities. only four items have been recovered. it's going to take some effort on our part to get them back. >> timing is everything. the moment you see anything is missing, don't wait. >> reporter: so we hit the phones and computer. losing stuff is easy. in most cases, it's almost impossible to get ahold of a live person. often, our only option was to fill out an online form. a week later, we receive this discouraging reply. and a bad news voice mail about an expensive camera abowe left a taxi. >> unfortunately, we did not find the camera.

>> reporter: but bingo, this hotel says they've got our items. they send it express mail, just in time for the holiday. to date, we've recovered 11 of 22 items. half remain at large. people may say, they don't care about our lost items. >> well, don't give up. >> reporter: file that report. because chances are -- >> it will show up. >> reporter: but we put her to the test, too. leaving an item behind, and leaving a lost and found report. you found it. it's a "20/20" lost and found thanksgiving miracle. if only getting our other stuff back was so easy.

we hope poor olaf gets out of the tar pit. no sign of him, last we heard. >> so, did you ever get any of your lost items back? >> let us know on facebook and twitter, use #abc2020. next, baristas spilling the beans. >> she said, you don't know what you're doing. i left the letters "fu" on top. >> coffee shop confessions, coming up. omething real?ea ♪ it takes passion... ♪ innovation... ♪ and most importantly, ♪ an after-party. ♪

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here's a question for you tonight. can you smell it in your favorite coffee shop? the pumpkin spice? well, tonight here, the baristas baring it all on what happens bend the counter. here's nick watt. >> reporter: the holidays are coming. i can tell, just by visiting the coffee shop -- chestnut praline, cinnamon hazelnut, peppermint mocha, winter warmers. but hold off on the caramel brulee eggnog gingerbread frappucino -- i made that one up -- until you've heard our insiders, our baristas coming

clean, tell us how to get the most out of your holiday fix. >> baristas are basically drug dealers. >> reporter: former barista hayley and current barista max say you and i are the addicts. >> so, when the, you know, junkie comes to get his fix, he's not gonna be super polite. he's just really focused on getting what he's there for. >> reporter: so, max and hayley created this video. it's a parody of "i dreamed a dream" from the musical "les miserables." ♪ wait your turn and stay in line ♪ ♪ we all have a place to be ♪ ♪ now i shall drink the drink ♪ >> reporter: they call themselves "les miserabaristas." >> it was all my pent up sadness and frustration. and i took it to a creative outlet. >> there's one instance in which this lady told me, "you don't know what you are doing?" and so, i took the caramel drizzle and i wrote the letters

"fu" on top. >> reporter: so, if you've been rude, check your pumpkin spice latte for hidden messages. and then, there's this guy -- >> i had a customer threaten to stab me one time. >> reporter: let's call him "bill." he still works at starbucks and writes a blog called "your barista hates you." he insists on full disguise because he fears he'll get fired for spilling the beans. >> our number one tool in the arsenal is definitely the decaf button. >> reporter: they'll decaf when you ordered caff. >> just out and out rudeness is a quick way to get a decaf shot. >> reporter: they will steal your buzz away from you. >> i've given decaf to people who wanted the extra caffeine. absolutely. >> reporter: the problem for a barista though is that you're out in the open. you're not back in the kitchen where you can spit in the soup. >> if someone's being particularly rude, you can add little extra charges. like, normally if you say, i want a latte with caramel, vanilla and chocolate. >> reporter: the barista could

charge you just once for a wee dash of each. or, if you're unpleasant, charge you three times. >> that's like a dollar difference, at least. >> reporter: so, you're being nice. you're not gonna get decaffed. but how do get the most caffeine possible, maximum buzz for your buck? apparently not with this. >> the frappuccinos are mostly ice, very little coffee. our profit margin on frappuccinos is huge. >> reporter: and when it comes to lattes at starbucks -- just order the medium. the large does not have more caffeine, just more steamed milk. whatever your choice may be, we were told to go for a light roast. dark roast has less caffeine. >> dark roast, less caffeine. >> reporter: executive coffee chef jeremy gursey -- yes, that's now a thing -- knows his roasts. according to jeremy, iced coffee can be the most potent. >> this is my pride and joy. this is a kyoto, eight-hour,

cold filter, drip. >> reporter: that is delicious. oh, my goodness, there's texture, it's kind of -- oh, yeah. >> like a fine bourbon. >> reporter: clearly, i'm now an expert. but the real experts, the baristas we talked to say that you, the customer, really have no idea what you're drinking. >> there are the select few who are truly coffee aficionados, but the vast majority of my customers actually don't really know anything. >> this is nice coffee. >> reporter: remember that '80s, from before we got all fancy pants about a cup of joe? >> we're secretly replacing the fine coffee usually served here with rich, dark, sparkling folger's crystals. >> reporter: we did something similar at local favorite philz in santa monica. we lined up a cup of supermarket standard -- 5 cents a cup. a premium java from a well-known coffee chain -- two or three bucks. and a third -- the most expensive coffee on earth. it's a blind tasting. are you like a coffee type guy? >> i drink coffee every day. >> reporter: patrick guessed this is the most expensive.

it's the cheapest. patrick, we have a total failure! >> i hope i don't get this wrong. >> reporter: i hope you do. take your time, swill away, do whatever you need to do. ashley guessed the coffee chain coffee was the most expensive. it's far from it. so, maybe we really don't know what we're drinking. and what is that mystery most expensive coffee on earth? this, $75 a cup. >> this one? >> is that that coffee where the bean comes out the monkey butt? >> reporter: nate, clearly a connoisseur, was almost right. indonesian civet cats eat coffee berries, they ferment inside and out poops the beans. nate, by the way, nailed the taste test but still thinks maybe coffee chain coffee isn't quite worth it. >> so, do i think i'm getting fleeced and used? of course. but will i continue to do it?

of course. >> reporter: the barista guild of america told us, "since the invention of coffee drinking by the ethiopians, making coffee for another person has been a deeply caring and personal act." this is a real organization, by the way. "we use service skills to help us navigate challenging customer interactions." as for starbucks, one of the most admired companies in the world, it told us it is appalled by bill the barista's claims of decaffing rude customers. "the behavior described would not be tolerated and is not reflective of the character of our 300,000 partners around the world." so, how do you get on your barista's good side? >> know what you want before you get to the register. >> reporter: good tip. and speaking of tips -- >> tipping also helps. >> oh, yes. >> if you put in that dollar, we will remember you.

>> saying, how are you, back is really nice. >> reporter: and by the way, our bearded confessor tells us that if you order a coffee on a holiday and tell a barista "too bad you have to work today," you most definitely will get decaffed. so don't be a dope. you might even get a treat even sweeter than three pumps of peppermint. >> people i liked i would reward, give them a little extra whipped cream or draw a little smiley face on their cup. next, he's stealing his christmas wish list. >> you're the lebron james of the business. >> our most honest confession from one of america's top shoplifters. tricks of his trade, coming up. they're paid vacation days. if you guys agreed to travel more we'll all do better in school. we'll have a better understanding of other cultures. i will learn to parler français. oui oui. we're not asking for much we just want one more day.

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lifeand thankfully, of shaving stuff. being able to find backups.

lifeand thankfully, of shaving stuff. being able to find backups. well, file this under how not to do your holiday shopping.

shoplifting. matt gutman got the truth about the five-finger discount. the toy story that the stores don't want you to know. >> reporter: 'tis the season for shopping. and as long as there have been shops, there have been shoplifters. but they're often lacking in style. this guy clumsily stuffs a chainsaw down his pants. risky. while these two openly pick up a table and are anything but stealthy and they walk it right out the door. these fools are the foot soldiers of the five fingered discount. and then there are the princelings. michael pollara for one. there's pollara now. police say this unassuming 46-year-old has strolled out of hundreds of retailers over his career, carrying merchandise worth millions. you're the -- the mozart, the lebron james of the business. >> you can say that. >> reporter: pollara sat down

with us for an interview. well, when he wasn't jumping out of his seat -- at first, he's coy. after all, you don't perfect the gift of the grab by giving up the goods. so, what did you do with the money from boosting? >> no, i am not telling. >> reporter: let me ask you this. is it a living? >> hell, yeah. >> reporter: how much have you managed to take out of stores in your career? >> reporter: the wrong guy?. really? then, how did a man who runs a small water filter business manage to travel the world from easter island to china to africa, always in style? he says he's just got a whole lot of frequent traveler miles to burn. >> i don't know why you guys are mixing this travel with this boosting. it's -- it's, like, wrong. >> reporter: but the denials started to break down and one of "20/20"'s most honest confessors emerged once we got out some props and asked him, hypothetically anyway, to

demonstrate how he hid merchandise in large boxes to get it out of a store. look, the box is open. you could put some dvds in that box. how's that? >> you're doin' it kinda wrong there. you could probably -- two, four, six. you could probably put -- you could probably get six leapsters in there. >> reporter: watch the maestro at work. there he is on store security camera footage in a florida kmart. he chooses a large box. this $35 baby car set. finding a quiet spot, he ditches the toy inside. then, this is where the money is made. pollara is now stuffing electronic gaming pads into that empty box, three or four of them worth $100 each. his accomplices keep a watch out. paid sidekick, travis simpson. and, believe it or not, pollara's own mother margaret. next, he re-seals the box with tape to make it look untouched. finally, mom and travis simpson

check out. up to $400 in toys hidden in this box. they pay just $35 and head out home free. pollara had shoplifting down to a science. >> there's only five methods. either it's on you, either -- if you're a female, it's in the purse. either it's in a bag or it's in a shopping cart or it's in a box. >> reporter: and that stuffed box was his forte, but making thousands of dollars of merchandize disappear right in front of the cashier takes some sleight of hand. and two key props. a teddy bear to help him seem to be warm and fuzzy. >> you buy a teddy bear. you get a little cashier. oh, it's so cute. she'll never dream. >> reporter: prop number two. a sweaty bottle of cold water that he grabs to hand to the cashier.

>> hand them the water so their hand is wet. >> reporter: why would the hand need to be wet? >> she's gonna wipe it down. >> reporter: that's important because he doesn't want her to touch the stuffed box, otherwise she might realize it's way too heavy. >> you lean over and let her scan the box. she's not gonna touch anything, still wiping her hand. >> reporter: it doesn't work at this toys'r'us and the cashier does lift the box herself. knowing the jig is up, he heads out the door. she then opens it up to find one, two, three, four boxes of legos hidden inside. how much do you think he netted that day that you followed him? >> tens of thousands. >> reporter: sergeant rich rossman of the broward county sheriff's office caught on to one of pollara's shoplifting sprees. >> he took a small little coffee maker off the shelf and stuffed it with electronic toothbrush heads, which are about $20 apiece and walked out with $300 or $400 when the -- it actually rang up for $20 or $30. so net profit of about $300. that was store one -- >> reporter: not bad.

>> -- of nearly two dozen that day. >> reporter: rossman and his investigators tracked pollara all around the country for months. he tells me for a crook, pollara had quite the work ethic. >> he was up bright and early and stole from dawn to the evening hours. i had to tell the -- call the wife and say, "i don't know wh i'm comin' home." >> reporter: till they finally hauled him in, then spent hours alternately interrogating him. >> who's the easiest to steal from? >> they all are. i can walk out of any place. >> reporter: and flattering him. >> you're good at what you were doing. >> i know. >> reporter: -- and exposing his achilles' heel, his ego. pollara can't help bragging about his extravagant exploits. >> hey, how many states you think you've been in, working? >> one year i hit the whole 50. >> oh, you did? >> yeah, the whole 50. >> reporter: rossman admits he only caught this veteran shoplifter after pollara made one rookie mistake. he used a frequent customer card at the many toys'r'us stores he hit, allowing the authorities to track his movements. >> in your 11 years, how much do you think you've taken from toys'r'us?

>> probably a whole store full. >> reporter: it is only now that cops start getting the full scope of his enterprise. much of his retail booty was sold through fences, but some he sold himself online. >> how much have you sold on ebay? >> i have no idea. >> we know. we know it. >> well, tell me so then i can -- >> a million dollars. >> oh, wow. is that good or bad? >> it's a lot of money! >> reporter: in fact when they caught him, he was planning another trip. >> i'm going on a cruise. i'm flying to anchorage and picking up the cruise from there. >> reporter: he's got the nerve to ask his interrogators to cancel the ticket for him, but instead of alaska, he went to jail. ultimately, pollara served just two years. >> my nickname in jail -- everyone has a jail name. i was toys'r'us. >> reporter: what about his mother? she was sentenced to probation for acting as his lookout and now is sitting off-camera during the interview. >> i hate him and i love him. >> it's italian love. >> reporter: after two years in the clink, pollara relishes his

freedom. he wouldn't say where he's spending his time these days, but when i asked him what the easiest stores had been to hit, he gave us perhaps a hint. >> i can't tell those because you don't know. i might be in those. next -- >> timber! >> confessions from your christmas tree seller. when to buy, what to buy, and the truth about the old wives' tales. >> put aspirin in the water, or sugar? >> no. >> next, on true confessions.

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you know, it seems the minute the thanksgiving dishes are washed, it's a race to find the perfect christmas tree. how do you avoid getting a c

charlie brown tree? we talked with the experfets. >> reporter: nothing says christmas more than trimming the tree but sometimes the quest to find that tree can be as deeply religious as the holiday itself. >> dad, did you bring a saw? >> reporter: christmas classics have poked fun at this annual adventure. but it's not funny when the fir in question is destined for your living room. the stakes are too high. no one wants to get ripped off. with a charlie brown disaster! the town of redding, pennsylvania went all bah humbug when this tree went up in the town square. >> who picked that? >> reporter: wow, look at all these trees.

so tonight listen to the pros of the pine. wizards of the winter wonderland we are surrounded by trees. how many are on this property? >> i haven't actually counted them all believe it or not! >> reporter: that would take a long time! >> there are over 100,000 trees on the property. >> reporter: jones is the 6th generation of his family of tree growers. >> balsam fir, fraser fir, douglas fir. >> reporter: and jones says the most common question he hears is, "where are the big ones?" but that's exactly where most people go wrong! size matters. >> people pick out a tree that's just a little too big! >> clark, do you think there's enough room for the angel? >> it's a common story, they get it home, the tree is all wrapped up they open it up and whoomp! >> reporter: but for new yorkers, the forest actually

comes to them. every year starting this weekend hundreds of stands appear overnight like magic on the city streets. as a subculture of tree sellers descends on our sidewalks. >> we have to teach people a lot. >> reporter: he's known simply as francois. new yorkers know him by name. and most new yorkers buy trees from someone like him, coming to the city just for the season. >> he's definitely part of my holiday ritual. >> is me and francois last year. its a yearly tradition in our >> reporter: francois is the focus of a new documentary called "tree man." he sells trees 24/7 every day until christmas, living out of a van parked on broadway. when is the best time to buy? tip number two.

don't delay. >> all the best trees will be gone. i always tell people early buyers are happy buyers. >> reporter: and you wont believe how he figures out what to charge! tip number three. its not just the height. it's the weight. >> a heavy tree is a healthy tree it's as simple as that! with a heavy tree. that tree is just gouged with water its full of water. we don't sell dead trees! >> reporter: francois says his trees can cost as much as $350. francois says the worst rip off in the tree biz is buying a cheap tree that isn't really fresh. then there are damaged or malformed trees.

francois doesn't like to call them ugly he calls them "mr. personality." but whatever people buy, pets can pooh-pooh it all. like on these videos posted on you tube. but brooklyn tree seller charles poekel has the answer. tip number four, pet lovers love the blue spruce. >> the best tree for them would be the blue spruce because it has very sharp needles, so the cat, once they find out those needles are sharp, they want nothing to do with that tree anymore. >> reporter: poekel suggests spritzing the needles with water. but all tree men agree the most important secret for a healthy tree is tip number five, enough water in the stand. >> just tap water is all you need to use. >> reporter: there's a lot of tricks out there. put aspirin in the water or sugar. >> no. >> reporter: doesn't work? >> no, just water. i think those are old wives tales, none of that would ever work. >> reporter: you can avoid all of this, and buy an artificial tree. but at the jones farm, they're

all about a real experience. it's a workout. as i'm about to discover as i attempt to cut down my own family tree. i thought this was going to be a power saw! >> see the trunk? mark, get set, go. i'm already exhausted. maybe artificial is the way to go. >> you're doing good! >> reporter: oh, my gosh, i need a break. >> remember, this is simple. this is a fun activity. >> reporter: i'm starting to wonder. but then -- >> its coming. >> timber! >> reporter: we have success! look at that! look at that time! as we load my trophy on the van. let's see if she stays on the top of my roof! jones reminds me the most important part of buying a tree is creating memories. and by the time i drive home, my kids help me set it up. even though i messed up rule number one.

it's too tall! this will be one tree my family will remember for quite some time. two times four is eight! bravo! when sebastian was diagnosed with a brain tumor, his parents turned to st. jude children's research hospital. we've changed how the world treats brain tumors. and no family ever pays. i have the answer. and for kids with cancer, so does st. jude. go to st. jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo.

♪ el[screams]sic [music changes] ♪ oh my gosh ♪ ohhh, ohhh, ohhh, ohhh ♪ you make me wanna say you can pay online with just a few clicks. just enter your password and check out.

but can maria kochetkova pay for holiday gifts at gap.com while dancing the nutcracker? confirmed! eleven holiday sweaters and five... shhh! it's for them. sign up at gap.com. visa checkout. the easier way to pay online. visa. everywhere you want to be. and that's "20/20" for tonight. we wish you the very best. i'm david muir. >> and i'm elizabeth vargas. you can follow all our stories with the new "20/20" app. happy holidays and have a good night. protesters face-off with

police in san francisco on this black friday. >> windows smashed and businesses shutdown leaving shoppers scared. abc7 news begi